Fritz Tornow
Encyclopedia
Fritz Tornow was a Feldwebel
in the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) who served as Adolf Hitler
's personal dog assistant and veterinarian
. He was also one of the last personnel to occupy the Führerbunker
when it was captured by Soviet troops.
, as well as her puppies, and Eva Braun
's dogs. Additionally, Tornow had his own pet dachshund
.
During the last days of World War II
, Tornow was one of the few remaining German personnel in the Führerbunker
. During the course of 29 April 1945, Hitler learned of the death of his ally Benito Mussolini
who had been executed by Italian partisans. This along with the fact the Soviet Army was closing in on his location, led Hitler to strengthen his resolve not to allow himself or his wife to be captured. That afternoon, Hitler expressed doubts about the cyanide capsules he had received through Heinrich Himmler
's SS. To verify the capsules' potency, Hitler ordered Dr. Werner Haase
to test them on his dog Blondi. Tornow had to force the dog to take one. He became visibly upset doing this, more so when the dog died as a result.
According to a report commissioned by Joseph Stalin
and based on eye witness accounts, Tornow was further mortified when he was ordered to shoot Blondi's puppies. On 30 April, Tornow took each of the four puppies and shot them in the garden of the Reich Chancellery
, outside the underground bunker complex, after Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide together
. He also killed Eva Braun's two dogs, Frau Gerda Christian
's dogs and his own dachshund
.
On 2 May 1945 the Soviet Army
took control of the bunker complex. Tornow was among only four living occupants; the others were Dr. Werner Haase, Erna Flegel
, and Johannes Hentschel
. They all surrendered to the Soviet troops.
Feldwebel
Feldwebel is a German military rank which has existed since at least the 18th century with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages. The word Feldwebel is usually translated as sergeant being rated OR-6 in the NATO rank comparison scale, equivalent to the British Army Sergeant and the US Army...
in the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) who served as Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's personal dog assistant and veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
. He was also one of the last personnel to occupy the Führerbunker
Führerbunker
The Führerbunker was located beneath Hitler's New Reich Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. It was part of a subterranean bunker complex which was constructed in two major phases, one part in 1936 and the other in 1943...
when it was captured by Soviet troops.
Biography
Tornow had the task of taking care of Hitler's beloved German shepherd BlondiBlondi
Blondi was Adolf Hitler's German Shepherd dog, given to him as a gift in 1941 by Martin Bormann. Blondi stayed with Hitler even after his move into the Führerbunker located underneath the garden of the Reich Chancellery on January 16, 1945...
, as well as her puppies, and Eva Braun
Eva Braun
Eva Anna Paula Hitler was the longtime companion of Adolf Hitler and, for less than 40 hours, his wife. Braun met Hitler in Munich, when she was 17 years old, while working as an assistant and model for his personal photographer and began seeing him often about two years later...
's dogs. Additionally, Tornow had his own pet dachshund
Dachshund
The dachshund is a short-legged, long-bodied dog breed belonging to the hound family. The standard size dachshund was bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was developed to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits...
.
During the last days of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Tornow was one of the few remaining German personnel in the Führerbunker
Führerbunker
The Führerbunker was located beneath Hitler's New Reich Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. It was part of a subterranean bunker complex which was constructed in two major phases, one part in 1936 and the other in 1943...
. During the course of 29 April 1945, Hitler learned of the death of his ally Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
who had been executed by Italian partisans. This along with the fact the Soviet Army was closing in on his location, led Hitler to strengthen his resolve not to allow himself or his wife to be captured. That afternoon, Hitler expressed doubts about the cyanide capsules he had received through Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
's SS. To verify the capsules' potency, Hitler ordered Dr. Werner Haase
Werner Haase
Werner Haase was an SS Obersturmbannführer , professor of medicine and one of Adolf Hitler's personal physicians.-Biography:...
to test them on his dog Blondi. Tornow had to force the dog to take one. He became visibly upset doing this, more so when the dog died as a result.
According to a report commissioned by Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
and based on eye witness accounts, Tornow was further mortified when he was ordered to shoot Blondi's puppies. On 30 April, Tornow took each of the four puppies and shot them in the garden of the Reich Chancellery
Reich Chancellery
The Reich Chancellery was the traditional name of the office of the Chancellor of Germany in the period of the German Reich from 1871 to 1945...
, outside the underground bunker complex, after Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide together
Death of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler committed suicide by gunshot on Monday, 30 April 1945 in his Führerbunker in Berlin. His wife Eva , committed suicide with him by ingesting cyanide...
. He also killed Eva Braun's two dogs, Frau Gerda Christian
Gerda Christian
Gerda "Dara" Christian née Daranowski was one of Adolf Hitler's private secretaries during World War II.-Biography:...
's dogs and his own dachshund
Dachshund
The dachshund is a short-legged, long-bodied dog breed belonging to the hound family. The standard size dachshund was bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was developed to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits...
.
On 2 May 1945 the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
took control of the bunker complex. Tornow was among only four living occupants; the others were Dr. Werner Haase, Erna Flegel
Erna Flegel
Erna Flegel , born in Kiel in 1911, was a German nurse.From January 1943 until the end of World War II, Flegel served in that capacity for Hitler's entourage and during the Battle of Berlin. She is believed to have been in Hitler's bunker when he committed suicide. She had originally worked...
, and Johannes Hentschel
Johannes Hentschel
Johannes Hentschel was a German- Danish master electro-mechanic for German dictator Adolf Hitler's apartments in the Old Chancellery.-Biography:Born in Berlin on 10 May 1908. Hentschel was hired on 4 July 1934...
. They all surrendered to the Soviet troops.
Portrayal in the media
- Robert PughRobert PughRobert Pugh is a Welsh film and television actor.Pugh was born in Cilfynydd and graduated from Rose Bruford College in 1976. In 2007, he co-starred alongside Genevieve O'Reilly and Geraldine James in ITV1 drama The Time of Your Life, where he played a parent whose 36-year-old daughter was...
in the 1981 made-for-television The BunkerThe Bunker (1981 film)The Bunker is a 1981 CBS television film, Time/Life production based on the book The Bunker. The movie makes significant deviations from James O'Donnell's book--published in 1978. The deviations are mainly due to an effort to clarify the events, and allowing the actors license to interpret some of...
. - Devid StriesowDevid StriesowDevid Striesow is a German actor. He starred as "Sturmbannführer Herzog" in Stefan Ruzowitzky's 2007 film The Counterfeiters, which was awarded the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for that year.-External links:...
in the 2004 film DownfallDownfall (film)Downfall is a 2004 German/Italian/Austrian epic war film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, depicting the final ten days of Adolf Hitler's life in his Berlin bunker and Nazi Germany in 1945....
.